New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-10
A PICTURESQUE RASCAL
EXPLOITS OF NUBAR PACHA, PRIME MINIS
TER OF EGYPT.

~ anal the least puilty man was made to suffer for
tho sins of his colleagues. In former letter l
The scandalous proceedings of the members of the
Khediye's cabinet have reached climax, and rs
described how Mustapha Pacha Fehmi, the Minister
OF the Interior, strangled tho former Minister of
Finance and Cow his hand still bears the traces of
bite inflicted by the dying Pacha when struggling
Tor his life In the present letter propose to show
briefly that the past and present history OF Nubar
Pacha the present Primo Minister OF Esypt' In
every way qualities him not only to act rs the
colleague but even as the chief of tho Thug
minister above mentioned.
Nubar is geueraly.regarded as the most remarkable
of Oriental statesman. perfect Bismarck OF Tue
Lovgnt But those who have had tho opportunity
of personally studying his character day by day
will be forced to admit, that while there Is mncn
cleverness aud acuteness there Is a want OF That
political sagacity which would enable him to con-
ceal the very shady sides of his character. He Is
an Armenian by birth and in his early youth held
some mental position in the Russian Consulate at
Smyrna Ono of his relatives, Boghos Boy. being
employed in the service of the Egyptian Govern
mont, young Nubar made his way to Cairo, and a:
the ago of eighteen we find him, sngularly hand
some young man, holding the post of reader and
secretary to old Mehemet ALI the Yiceroy. During
the reign of the saturnine Abbas Pacha, who was
one Of the wickedest monsters who have ever dis
graced an Oriental throne. Nubar occupied the
same post When Abbas was at length assassnated
In ono of his desert palaces by two OF tho male
inmates of his harem, his successor SAID, who
admired Nubar's cleverness, appointed him director
of the newly constructed Egyptian Railway. 1t
was while holding this Office that the most i'm por-
tant event Of Nubar's life occurred, one which has
never been satisfactorily explained
He had become the bosom friend of Prince lsmail,
vln hnir fn
the throne. Ismail. who spent his time chiefly at
Paris where he wasImade lmuch of At the Tuileries,
was as inscriptions as he was ambitious, and
never ceased cursing the fact that he was only
younger brother In the spring of Que of the years
Immediately preceding Said's death the latter gave
a'gr~at garden fete at Alexandria. for which he
sent invitations to all the members of his family
and to other prominent personages. special train
was ordered to convey the Princes and their suites
from Cairo to Alexandria. CuriOusly enough
Prince Ismail at the last moment excused himself
from going on the plea of sudden Illness while by
q strange coincidence Nubar whose duty 1t was, as
head Of the railway department. to accompany
Prince Achmet's special train. just as the latter
was about to steam out of the depot pretended a
similar indisposltion. which forced him TO remain
at Cairo. The train. which in addition to the heir
apparent conveyed his uncle Prince Hahn, pro-
ceeded safely on its way until Kafr- Zayat point
about halfway between Cairo and Alexandria
where the line of railway passes over splendid
iron bridge which spans the Nile. A swing bridge
opens and shuts to permit the passage of steamers
and other craft. AS the train bearing its royal
freight came laundering down the slope which
leads to the bridge the engine driver. saw to his
horror that the swing bridge was open, leaving a
yawning space over the dark and rapid river whose
muddy waters rushed along full sixty feet below.
1t Was too late TO avoid tho danger. The whole
train was preripitated into the river Prince
Hahn alone succeeded in emerging from the saloon
carriage and being splendid swimmer managed
to get ashore; but Prince Aobmet and his suite
perished thus leaving the succession to the throne
clear for his brother IsmaiL Of, course the result
of all this was the temporary disgrace OF Nubar.
who found it prudent to betake himself TO Europe
whore he remained until the Viceroy's death. As
soon as Ismail assembled the throne In 1862. he
summoned Nubar to his side. and named him Prime
Minister, besides bestowing nagnifcent presents
both of land and money on the man to whom he
owed 30 much. During the following years Nubar
undertook several voyages to Constantinople and
Europe on behalf of his master. who testified his
satisfacton by further presents of land and money
Our Armenian friend, who had now become very
wealthy man, was determined at all costs to main
existing circumstances any security in the matter
was out of the question There was absolutely
nothing to prevent khedive lsmail from confscat
ing on the morrow the whole of the estates which
hc had bestowed on his Prime Minister on the
previous day. 1t was necessary to place some
check on the Sonfscatlng powers OF the hnedMe,
supreme Accordingly Nubar insi'iiously suggested
to bis sovereign that the creation Of what are now
know az the international Tribunals would vastly
increase hi. facilities for borrowing money on the
European market since they would enable the
Enropssn Of Ii; Or"o TSs rSana
which are Nubars hand and about " hich 50
much has been written, have proved the ruin OF the
powers of the natives were limited Forced sales
aud distraint arc expressly prohibited by the
Koran. and hence the creditor had no means OF
forcing his debtor to iquidate his debt, consequent
chsry about lending money. Now. however, all
tie peasantry is duo to tie fact that almost al the
land has passed into the hands OF The foreign
money lenders BY becoming the protected subject
of France. Nubar TINS effectively placed his prop
erty beyond the reach of bis MASTER who could not
touch any portion of it exce;t through the legal
process Of the International Tribunals
It would take too long 20 relate in detail how
Eubar foreseeing that Europe would demand an
account of the fact that whereas 500 900 900 had
been borrowed, only 5000. 100000 bad found its
way into the National Treasury at Cairo. deter
mined to save his riches 81 the expense of his
master and benefactor. Ignoring the fact that part
Of tho $3O0.000.OO0 had remained sticking to his
rapacious fingers and that every foot If ground
sver, piece of gold in fact which he possessed was
actually led the hue-and-cry which was raised
against the latter. aud which eliminated In
Khediye IsmaiPs being forced to surrender all his
estates, and to abdicste his throne. So much for
Armenian gratitude. the absence Of which is pro-
verbal throughout the East.
Tho present scandals which have eliminated in
tue disgrace Of one Cabinet Minister. and in the
summary dismissal of number Of high officials.
srs merely combinations of Nubar's former
indelicaceA The Government possessed q vast
number OF landed estates, many of which fol nerly
belonged to Khedive Ismail. Under the preteAt OF
turping this property to good account, all the
valuable lots were disposed of. not by public
auction, but by private sale at a merely nominal
price to the various members of the ring while
the remainder placed upon the market in such
. way a. to depreciate inomentarily the value OF
real estate, and thus enable Nubar to turn his
immense capital TO pI oftable account by purchas
ing land at a moment of arthcally created
depression Enormous tracts we're likewise
allotted to various friends and ntimates of Nutar,